This invention relates to effervescent vitamin and mineral compositions for human consumption. More particularly, this invention relates to effervescent vitamin and mineral compostions which are completely soluble in water and provide desired quantities of vitamins and minerals in a readily bioavailable form.
With the current emphasis on health and fitness, there has arisen also an awareness of the need the human body has for proper nutrition. Particular emphasis has been placed on the need for adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals. Because of this the market has been flooded with a variety of vitamin and mineral products, each claiming to be superior in certain aspects.
Most vitamin and mineral preparations are formulated as capsules or tablets for human consumption. Others are added to foodstuffs as part of an enrichment or food supplement program. However, it is difficult to get small children to swallow capsules or tablets. In addition, many adults who are in need of vitamins and minerals suffer from physical conditions that make it difficult to swallow capsules or tablets. There are also situations where vitamin and mineral preparations are needed separate and apart from foodstuffs. Therefore, it is impractical to consume fortified foods just to obtain the value of their vitamin and mineral contents.
It has been suggested that vitamins, and sometimes minerals, be prepared in a water soluble form and utilized in beverages. One such suggestion is contained in U.S. Pat. No. 3,243,347 in which certain vitamins and minerals are absorbed on non fat dry milk solid granules which have been treated with propylene glycol. The product is said to dissolve in beverages such as milk, juices, tea, coffee and the like and is said to be odorless, tasteless and leave no after taste.
It is well established, however, that certain minerals are of limited solubility and often impart an objectionable odor and/or flavor to aqueous preparations. In addition, most minerals are provided in inorganic form and are at best difficult for the body to assimilate.
It is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,494 to prepare a dry vitamin premix for introduction into milk utilizing lactose, the major component, of non fat milk solids, as the solubilizing agent. This patent also proposes prepackaging minerals separately from the vitamins for independent introduction into milk.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,529 teaches that metabolically available iron and ascorbic acid are unstable when combined but may be stabilized by the addition of gelatin.
There is considerable prior art relative to the production of vitamin mixtures for use in foods and/or beverages. Representative of these are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,421,598; 2,375,279; 2,897,119 and 3,574,826.
It is now well documented that minerals are more bioavailable if administered in the form of chelates wherein the chelating ligands are amino acids or protein hydrolysates. Typical patents demonstrating this concept are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,873,296; 3,969,540 and 4,020,158. These chelated minerals are known in the art by various names such as metal proteinates, amino acid chelates and peptide or polypeptide chelates. These will be referred to herein simply as "amino acid chelates" which is the term predominately used in the market place. According to the above patents, amino acid chelates are relatively insoluble at a basic pH and may be incompletely formed at an acid pH. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,216,143 and 4,216,144 teach soluble amino acid chelates which may be obtained in powdered form and subsequently redissolved in water for human and animal use. These amino acid chelates are stated to be soluble over a relatively narrow pH range of between about 7 and 8. The use of a specific combination of iron, copper and molybdenum, amino acid chelates absorbed onto a proteinaceous food carrier for treatment of iron deficiency anemia is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,405. This patent also teaches that other nutritional supplements, such as vitamins, can also be adsorbed on the food carrier. However, there is no teaching of combining vitamins and minerals, in the form of amino acid chelates, in a single water soluble composition.
It would be desirable to be able to provide a combination of vitamins and minerals in a water soluble form wherein the various vitamins and minerals in the mixture are compatible and readily bioavailable. However, at the present time most available formulations sacrifice bioavailability to obtain a compatible solution or sacrifice compatibliity and market the minerals and vitamins separately. In the alternative, vitamins and minerals have been adsorbed onto foodstuff carriers. This provides bulk and makes them inconvenient to take.